There's one major moment during a Haven Springs council meeting in Chapter 5 of Life is Strange: True Colors that takes into consideration many of Alex's choices made throughout previous chapters. Depending on what decisions players have made, certain members of the council will believe Alex's accusations, and some might not.
Some decisions are actually missable throughout the Deck Nine-developed title, while others are morally grey, meaning it's not so easy to pick the 'right' decision. This guide covers how to ensure Pike, Charlotte, Eleanor, Duckie, Steph, and Ryan take Alex's side during the council meeting in Chapter 5. Although Life is Strange: True Colors doesn't really have a bad ending, all six members siding with Alex does make the closing moments more satisfying.
Updated on May 17th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: The game may be a few years old but timeless stories don't ever stop being told. This is especially true in a game such as Life Is Strange: True Colors which doesn't tell just one story but several. Veterans of the franchise continue to replay the stories they love on top of experimenting with other options. New players will be discovering the biggest moments in the game for the first time. To help either kind of gamer along, this guide has been reordered for the time players will encounter them in the story. Additionally, the timing and exact decisions have been made into bullet points so that readers don't have to skim the article for the exact information they are looking for.
Gaining Steph's Loyalty
- Guaranteed
Players can choose to pursue a romance with Steph in Life is Strange: True Colors, or keep it platonic, with neither option affecting her allegiance to Alex. This is because Steph will always side with her during the confrontation in the Black Lantern, no matter what choices were made.
Gaining Eleanor's Loyalty
- Chapter 2
- Tell Eleanor about Gabe
- Do not tell Riley about Eleanor's condition
Eleanor's trust in Alex is something players can lose at multiple key moments. It all comes down to whether Riley finds out about Eleanor's memory problems or not. This can happen in a number of ways, with the first occurring after Alex has helped Eleanor in Chapter 2 of Life is Strange: True Colors.
If players want Eleanor on their side during the meeting, they should choose to tell her about Gabe. Not telling her results in Eleanor missing the lantern send-off, alerting Riley to her grandmother's condition, which Eleanor blames Alex for.
The next step in securing Eleanor's confidence is choosing not to tell Riley about Eleanor's condition. Telling Riley will result in her staying in Haven instead of going to college. Alex will lose Eleanor's trust if she decides to tell Riley about Eleanor's Alzheimer's at any point throughout the chapters.
Gaining Charlotte's Loyalty
- Chapter 3
- Allow Charlotte to keep her anger
Getting Charlotte to stand with Alex during the meeting relies on a decision made back in Chapter 3. Alex was given the option to take Charlotte's anger or leave her alone. Although taking her anger might seem like the kind thing to do, this alters Charlotte's personality and makes her feel 'not right.' She will say that there is something wrong with both her and Alex if players choose to take her anger. So to get Charlotte to side with Alex, players should decide to leave her alone.
Gaining Ryan's Loyalty
Recommended loyalty path for Ryan:
- Chapter 3
- Allow Charlotte to keep her anger
- Secure loyalty of all other characters
Alternative loyalty path for Ryan:
- Romance him (Give him the rose and kiss him on the rooftop during the Spring Festival)
- Back-up Ryan's claim that Alex heard Gabe's call in Chapter 2
- Hug Ryan in Chapter 2
- When given the option to choose Steph or Ryan as the distraction in Chapter 3, go with Ryan
Ryan is the hardest person to get on Alex's side during the council meeting in Chapter 5. This may seem weird, as he is one of Alex's closest friends and a potential love interest, but Jed is his father. So regardless if players choose to romance Ryan in Life is Strange: True Colors or not, he may still side with Jed.
Alex acting kind and helping as many people as she can also seems to help sway Ryan to her side. However, the most important decision players must make to get Ryan to believe Alex in the meeting is deciding to not take Charlotte's anger.
Gaining Duckie's Loyalty
- Chapter 4
- Find and speak to Duckie at the Black Lantern Bar
Players may be wondering how they were supposed to get Duckie on their side when Alex doesn't have many interactions with him. Finding Duckie's whiskey in Life is Strange: True Colors can help, but the main way to get him on Alex's side is finding Duckie at the Black Lantern bar during the Spring Festival in Chapter 4. Locate him sitting down to the left of the pool table and read his feelings. They will talk about his late wife, Tabitha, and then Alex will help lift Duckie's spirits.
Gaining Pike's Loyalty
- Chapter 4
- Take Pike's Fear
Pike's allegiance is dependent on whether Alex decided to take Pike's fear or sign the affidavit in Chapter 4. Players must decide to take the deputy's fear of Typhon away in order for him to stand up to Diane during the meeting. Some may have some qualms with the morality of this decision, but it is never framed as a bad action during the story.
After players decide if they should forgive or condemn Jed in Life is Strange: True Colors, Alex's adventure is almost over, and she must decide to stay in Haven Springs or seek adventure. The option to stay is a lot more appealing if all members of the council sided with Alex, as they will appear in Gabe's story of Alex's future.
Life is Strange: True Colors is out now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.